Pair of robbers hitting Manteca businesses at night

A pair of armed robberies have Manteca Police officers looking to the public for help in identifying the men they believe are responsible.

Officers received a call on Thursday night that The Wright Touch – the hair salon at the corner of Yosemite Avenue and Fremont Avenue – had been robbed by a pair of gun-toting men who came in just before closing and demanded cash from the register.

They then fled south on Fremont Avenue before disappearing into the neighborhood.

The first suspect is described as a young Hispanic male in his late teens or early 20s wearing a dark colored shirt and blue jeans with a bandana covering his face. He is believed to be roughly 5-foot, 8-inches tall. The second suspect is also described as a young Hispanic male in his late teens or early 20s with short dark hair and was wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans with a red bandana covering his face. He is believed to have been of similar height, and both are reportedly of slight build.

Thursday’s armed robbery was the second in three days after a massage parlor near downtown was hit on Tuesday just after 6 p.m. The descriptions of the two men were similar to those that were believed to have robbed the hair salon Thursday night just after 9 p.m.

According to Manteca Police Department Lieutenant Tony Souza, the department is asking for any information that the public may have that could lead to the identification of the two men involved in the pair of stick-ups. Officers currently have very few leads and are hoping that somebody driving by one of the two establishments – or living nearby – may have seen something substantial enough to give investigators what need to prevent another crime.

He’s also urging business owners to exercise caution during the evening hours and when they’re getting ready to leave their businesses for the night.

“We just want to remind business owners to be aware of their surroundings, especially when they’re closing up or getting ready to transfer money from one place to another,” he said. “And we urge anybody that sees anything suspicious to call us and let us determine whether it’s a threat.”

Anyone with information can contact the Manteca Police Department at 209.456.8401 or the South County Crime Stoppers at 209.823.4636.